Usage Note: The phrasal verbs talk about and (less commonly) talk of sometimes have a piece of writing as their subject, as in The article talks about the humanitarian crisis in the Sudan and The book talks of continuing barriers to free trade. While this usage might seem a natural semantic extension—no different, really, from the similar and widely accepted use of the word discuss—for many people talk remains primarily associated with speaking, and using it for a written medium violates a norm of standard grammar. The Usage Panel has mixed feelings about this construction. In our 2001 survey, 58 percent accepted it in the sentence The book talks about drugs that exist in many of our communities. Writers who wish to avoid the problem can use discuss or another nonspeaking verb such as argue or maintain instead.

talk

(tɔːk)

vb

1. (intr; often foll by to or with) to express one's thoughts, feelings, or desires by means of words (to); speak (to)

2. (intr) to communicate or exchange thoughts by other means: lovers talk with their eyes.

Speak and talk have very similar meanings, but there are some differences in the ways in which they are used.

1. 'speaking' and 'talking'

When saying that someone is using his or her voice to produce words, you usually say that they are speaking.

Please be quiet when I am speaking.

He was speaking so quickly I found it hard to understand.

However, if two or more people are having a conversation, you usually say that they are talking. You don't say that they 'are speaking'.

I think she was listening to us while we were talking.

They sat in the kitchen drinking and talking.

2. used with 'to' and 'with'

If you have a conversation with someone, you can say that you speak to them or talk to them.

I saw you speaking to him just now.

I enjoyed talking to Ana.

You can also say that you speak with someone or talk with someone. This use is particularly common in American English.

He spoke with his friends and told them what had happened.

I talked with his mother many times.

When you make a telephone call, you ask if you can speak to someone. You don't ask if you can 'talk to' them.

Hello. Could I speak to Sue, please?

3. used with 'about'

If you speak about something, you describe it to a group of people, for example in a lecture.

I spoke about my experiences at University.

She spoke for twenty minutes about the political situation.

In conversation, you can refer to the thing someone is discussing as the thing they are talking about.

You know the book I'm talking about.

I think he was talking about behaviour in the classroom.

You can refer in a general way to what someone is saying as what they are talking about.

'I saw you at the concert.'  'What are you talking about? I wasn't there!'

If two or more people are discussing something, you say they are talking about it. Don't say they 'are speaking about' it.

The men were talking about some medical problem.

Everybody will be talking about it at school tomorrow.

4. languages

You say that someone speaks or can speak a language.

They spoke fluent English.

How many languages can you speak?

You don't say that someone 'talks' a language.

Be Careful!Don't use 'in' when you are talking about someone's ability to speak a language, and don't use a progressive form. Don't say, for example, 'She speaks in Dutch' or 'She is speaking Dutch' to mean that she is able to speak Dutch.

Be Careful!If you hear some people talking, you can say 'Those people are speaking in Dutch' or 'Those people are talking in Dutch'.

disclose, let on, divulge, expose, give away, let out, reveal, unwrap, discover, bring out, break - make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret; "The auction house would not disclose the price at which the van Gogh had sold"; "The actress won't reveal how old she is"; "bring out the truth"; "he broke the news to her"; "unwrap the evidence in the murder case"

I'm opinionated and an extrovert - as an example, I was on Radio Merseyside 20 years ago when I wrote a children's book called Tiger and Fudge, a story about our two cats - so I fancied doing it, but June didn't at first and had to be talked round by me

However, it has not been forgotten Rooney requested a transfer last season amid fears about United's long-term future, only to be eventually talked round and then end the season as a Premier League winner.

The move was anticipated by the City hierarchy and they can relax in the knowledge that Tevez - who expressed similar sentiments about leaving in December only to be talked round by manager Roberto Mancini and owner Sheikh Mansour - has three years remaining on a contract that is estimated to be worth in excess of pounds 200,000-a-week.

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